Starting Alone, Ending Together
by timekeeper1824
Summary: After the tragic murder of the Potters, Sirius is thrown into Azkaban for betraying them. The thoughts that torture him of his last year at Hogwarts are the only things that are keeping him on the bridge of sanity. He remembers James and Lily's love
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: **

After the tragic murder of the Potters, Sirius is thrown into Azkaban for betraying them. The thoughts that torture him of his last year in Hogwarts are the only things that are keeping him on the bridge of sanity. He begins to think back about how his best friend finally captured and won Lily over.

**AN: Hello Everyone,I hope that you all like my story and I would like to thank my wonderful beta KD for working with me to make this possible. Please Read and please leave me a review as well. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter characters besides my own. All the credit goes to the wonderful JK Rowling.**

Prologue: Distant and Painful Memories

It was cold, dark and damp. He was being dragged across the hard, stone floor by two heartless creatures who sucked all happiness out of the gothic structured building. But the young handsome man didn't care where he was being taken. He didn't care about anything anymore. There was no more joy across the once handsome face, it was now lifeless.

He could no longer feel any emotion except deep and intolerable sadness. His two best friends were dead because of him. He, Sirius Black, had delivered Lily and James to the darkest wizard alive, Lord Voldemort. Sirius had to rephrase that last thought. Lord Voldemort was the darkest wizard up until he was defeated by the Potter's infant son and Sirius's godchild.

The dark soulless creatures that were dragging him came to a stop. He was at his new home now. Sirius would be spending the rest of his life in Azkaban being known as the Potters' betrayer.

They pushed him in roughly and he stumbled to the concrete bed in the corner of the cell and began to weep for the first time after their deaths.

Sirius new in some way that he was innocent and in others, guilty. No happy thoughts came across his mind. He knew that the person who had delivered the Potters to Voldemort was still out there since he had faked his own death. Sirius couldn't believe that his school friend, Peter Pettigrew was the one who worked against them all. He had fooled every one up until their friends" deaths.

In the other part of Sirius's mind, he knew he was guilty since he told James and Lily to make Peter their secret keeper. He thought it was the perfect plan. A decoy. He thought for sure the Dark Lord would go after him since he was the stronger one. Never once did he think that Voldemort would go after the weak one. But, I guess that was what he was hoping for. Waiting for the word that Peter had been made the Secret Keeper in order for him to get to the Potters.

00000000

Sirius had been sitting in his damp and lifeless home for three days, all of them without eating during that period of time. He was still in shock of what had happened only nine days ago.

Still standing outside of the betrayer's cell, the dementors could still not suck the happiness out of the man for there was nothing to feed off of. Sirius was filled with only the deepest, darkest, and the most depressing thoughts a person would have thought impossible to think about. He was the only person in all of Azkaban who wasn't affected by the dementors' cold and terrible power.

He began to think of how he got to Azkaban in the first place. He remembered flying his motorbike to what was left of the Potter's large manor to collect Harry but to no avail. Rubeus Hagrid, arrived and told Sirius Dumbledore had given him specific orders to take Harry to his aunt and uncle. He argued with Hagrid saying that he was Harry's godfather. In the end, Sirius gave into Hagrid, telling him to take his motorbike as well. Sirius didn't need it anymore. He remembered being surrounded by Ministry members waiting to take him down and send him to Azkaban. He remembered seeing Barty Crouch for the briefest moment. In that one moment, Barty was the person who decided to send him, Sirius, to the wizard prison without holding a trial. The last thing that Sirius remembered was how he had crossed the vast water on a boat to reach his new and dreary destination. A new and sad beginning was waiting for Sirius.

As he began his new life as the man who betrayed his best friends, the man his other friend, Remus Lupin, would now think of him as cold and heartless and how he would never visit him or have contact with him. He thought of Peter Pettigrew, the true betrayer, still out there in his animagus form. Sirius began to look back on his seventh year at Hogwarts when he and his friends were happiest.

The only difference was that when he thought back on these precious memories, he did not feel the warmth of happiness flow through his veins. No, he felt only the remorse in his body.

Closing his eyes, he saw flashes of colors and faces. James and him laughing at the beginning the term prank they had just pulled, Lily finally, seeing the brighter side of James and never thinking that she could fall in love with him. The last memory that Sirius saw was the most painful for it consisted of a single person.

This person had changed his view on girls as objects to real people with feelings as well of life. She had opened his eyes to a new light and he began to love her. He remembered how they got Remus and Rosalie together and how he pursued her during their times together.

Thinking back on his painful memories, he began to drown in them and was soon lost in a whirl wind of color. He was beginning to remember his whole final year at Hogwarts and soon became apart of his own memories.


	2. Chapter 1 Confrontations

Chapter one: Confrontations Between the Heads: Part I

"Bye, Mum and Dad," Lily said as she walked through the barrier to platform nine and three quarters.

_I can't believe that it's my last year at Hogwarts. Soon I'll be going off into the real Wizarding world, _Lily thought to herself.

Lily Evans, of course, was accepted as Head Girl but she couldn't help but wonder who the Head Boy was.

"Lily, we're over here!" She turned around to see her best friends Rosalie Galleriby and Marlin Savory. "It's so good to see you again," Rosalie said, smiling at her.

She was a small girl with perfect features that every girl envied. Her hair was cropped short above the ears giving her the look of a pixie with dark caramel skin. Marlin on the other hand, was just the opposite. Marlin towered over Lily and Rosalie's height with long, flowing locks of sunshine. Lily couldn't help but feel that she was not as pretty as her friends but each girl constantly told Lily that she was above beautiful with her shoulder length red hair and her petite figure.

"How about we go find a compartment and settle in." said Marlin. They grabbed their trunks and started pulling them onto the train.

"Prongsie, over here mate!" A tall boy with shoulder length black hair as dark as midnight waved to a boy with round glasses and untidy hair. James walked over to his fellow Marauders Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew and Sirius Black who had called him over.

"Hey guys, how are you doing?" asked James. Of course, he already knew Sirius's answer because Sirius had stayed at the Potters' manor the whole summer. On the other hand, Remus sarcastically replied, "Considering that there were three full moons, I could say that my summer was great with the transformations."

Remus was around average height with dirty blonde hair, and was very sickly looking at the moment because it had been full moon only three days previous. The other boy, Peter was just the opposite of the other three Marauders. He was not what you would consider Marauder material for he wasn't one of the school's lookers like Remus, Sirius and James.

"Hey Prongs, what's that on your shirt?" Sirius asked. James quickly tried to hide the badge from view but it was too late, Sirius had already seen it.

"Head Boy, you're Head Boy? I thought Remus was getting the badge for sure!"

What Sirius also didn't know was that he had an audience of students looking at  
him with puzzled expressions on their faces.

"Bugger off!" Sirius yelled at the students when he finally turned around. The crowd of students quickly headed onto the train. "When did you get the letter? Why didn't you tell me and why didn't I know since I was at your house the whole holiday?" Question after question was pouring out of James' friend and James himself didn't have enough time to explain. Finally, James was able to cut Sirius off.

"Padfoot, this was exactly why I didn't tell you because I knew what your reaction would be. I got the letter two weeks after the summer holiday started and I asked my mum and dad not to tell you." James said in a rush.

Sirius just stared dumbfounded at James until Remus finally spoke. "Well, I think that James will make a great Head Boy. By the way James, does Lily know that you're Head Boy?"

James' face grew slightly pale. How could he fail to remember that Lily was sure to get Head Girl? He had felt strongly for Lily for a long time but she loathed him with deep disgust. He loved the way her emerald eyes danced with happiness when she was enjoying herself, but they always seemed to turn stone cold at the sight of James.

"Damn, I can't believe I forgot about Lily being Head Girl." James said to himself.

Sirius seemed to regain some of his composure and started laughing hysterically. "Man I can't wait to see the look on Evans's face. How much you want to bet that she'll hex your arse to the next century?" James half heartedly smiled at Sirius, glad the he seemed to be over the shock that James was Head Boy.

"Well we'll soon find out because the Head and Prefect meeting is in forty-five minutes. Why don't we go find ourselves a compartment?" Remus led everyone onto the train which was just about to leave and found a compartment.

"So Lily, who do you think the Head Boy is?" Marlin asked.

Marlin was always the girl who was not afraid to speak her mind and was known to have a  
quick temper that could match Lily's. Rosalie held her tongue when she was around Lily knowing that her fiery temper could go off at any moment.

Lily answered Marlin's question. "Marlin you're so thick headed, Remus is sure to have the badge, I mean he was a prefect and he's the only one who can gain control of Potter and Black."

Lily had always liked Remus more than the other Marauders because he was the mature one while the others goofed off and played numerous pranks. The one person that she had despised since first year was James Potter, the bullying toe rag. He constantly asked her to go out with him and always seemed to hex Severus Snape whenever he had the chance.

"Speaking of Remus, don't you have a certain meeting to attend?" Rosalie said to Lily. Sure enough Lily looked at her watch and realized the meeting was about to start in two minutes.

"Blimey! I better get going. I don't want to make a bad impression as Head Girl when I'm not even at school yet." Without a second glance back at her friends, Lily raced off to the Heads' Compartment.

Huffing and puffing, Lily raced down the train corridor and finally reached her destination. She smoothed down her hair and flattened her robes to make it look like she hadn't raced to get to the meeting on time.

"Okay," Lily said to herself, "just stay calm. You have all of the patrolling schedules to give to the Prefects and you have all of the passwords to get into the common rooms and Dumbledore's office. At least I finally get to see who the Head Boy is."

With one last calming breath, Lily slid open the compartment door, but she didn't find Remus as the Head Boy. No, she found someone that made her drop all the schedules and passwords with just a glimpse at him.

"Hey Evans, are you surprised to see me?" James Potter said cockily, while looking down at a very flustered Lily.

"P, P, Potter? You're the Head Boy? Why would Dumbledore in his right mind make you Head Boy? " Lily sputtered out. Without another glance at Potter, Lily began to restack all of the passwords and schedules into separate piles once more since she had dropped them at the sight of Potter when she opened the compartment door.

_I must be dreaming. James Potter is not the Head Boy. He's too arrogant and bigheaded for his own good. Did I just call him James? Bad Lily, very bad Lily! Don't do that again. The last thing I want is to start calling him James. I said it again! Lily Alexander Robinson Evans you are only to call him Potter and nothing else! _

Lily didn't notice that James was also scurrying around on the ground helping her recollect the papers until his hand briefly brushed hers.

"I don't need your help Potter!" She spat at him. "I am capable of picking up after myself thank you very much."

James ignored her remark and kept picking up papers.

"Did you hear what I.." She wasn't able to finish because James had interrupted.

"Yes I heard what you said but I believe that the polite thing to do is to help you gather the papers instead of watching you do it yourself," he said.

Lily was taken aback. Never once had she heard the bullying toe rag say something which made her go pink in the face. She quickly muttered a "sorry" and the papers were back in her hands.

"It's ok. No offense taken," James replied. Well, do you think we should get started on the meeting then?"

After he said this, Lily was about to say that they had to wait for the other Prefects to get there before they could start the meeting. To her surprise, all of the Prefects were already filing into the compartment. She cleared her throat and began to speak.

"Welcome back to a new term at Hogwarts. We will start off by handing out the passwords." Lily handed the passwords of each common room to the Prefects. After explaining to the newly elected Prefects that they would lead the first years to the Common Rooms, she turned to James.

"Do you have anything to add Potter?" James looked at Lily and began to speak. "As a matter of fact when it comes to patrolling, I think a sign-up sheet should be made in order for those who are on the quidditch teams to have time to go to practices and patrol the corridors. Ermmm, I think that's all, you can return to your compartments now."

After everyone left the compartment besides the two Heads, Lily turned on James.

"Why you? Why of all people did I have to get stuck with you?" She kept going over and over that Potter was not suppose to be Head Boy. Lily then began to pace back and forth.

After a couple of minutes, James finally grabbed the firey redhead by the shoulders and stopped her in mid-track.

"Get your hands off of me Potter!"

James however didn't listen. Instead, he gazed down at Lily with his hazel eyes bearing into her emerald ones.

"Lily, listen to me. I am so sorry for what ever I did to upset you when I became Head Boy. Actually, I think you should be the one apologizing. No don't interrupt me," James said as Lily began to open her mouth to retaliate.

"All I did was receive the badge and for some reason, that set your temper off. I am trying very hard to make a good impression because I lo.. Uhh, I would like to become your friend. I'm sorry if you cannot deal with me as Head Boy. Sooner or later, we are going to have to work together and I am more than willing to take the chance of becoming friends. See you at school."

Without a second glance back over his shoulder, James left leaving a very stunned Lily back in the now empty compartment.

James couldn't believe what he had just done. He had told Lily very seriously that he liked her to her face. Even worse, he had almost said the L word. He James Potter almost poured out his deepest feelings for Lily. He couldn't let that happen again.

_Your'e not going to be as lucky as next time James._ He thought to himself. _If you ever tell Lily the real truth about how you feel, your going to be in serious trouble from her.. She would probably lock herself in her dormitory for the rest of her life. Still, You could have a chance this year. _

He didn't realize that he had passed his compartment. Instead, James was nearing Lily's compartment. He started to turn around and head back in the other direction, but something that Lily's friends said made his whole body root to the spot.

"Rose, I really do think that Lily does have feelings for James Potter. I mean, no girl can be that horrible to one specific boy. Is it even possible for someone to have that much hate for one person?" Marlin said.

James's stomach did a flip. Marlin actually thought that his Lily did have feelings for him. He crept closer to the compartment door, eagerly waiting to hear what the vivacious blonde would say next.

"I agree with you Marlin, but I don't think Lily will listen to what you have to say about James. She is dead set on hating him." Rosalie said.

This made the little hope that was left in James disappear.

_Well, there you have it Prongs, Lily does eternally hate you. _

Still downhearted, James slowly began to drag his feet back to his compartment. Arriving, James sat by the window and didn't talk to anyone for the remainder of the journey until the talk of the start of term prank was mentioned. That got him out of his stupor. He and his friends set to work immediately on the prank.

They arrived at the castle with the sun gone. Lily and her friends found a horseless carriage to take them up to the castle.

Rosalie grimaced. She knew that the carriages were actually pulled by thestrals, which were skeletal horse-like creatures with paper thin wings. Lily and Marlin watched her nervously. They knew that thestrals were a sensitive subject around her. She had witnessed her mother die and she blamed herself for the death. She had never told them how her mother had died, and they were always curious to ask her but knew better than to pry into such a delicate matter.

She shrugged it off and climbed into the carriage. The three girls chatted happily and then Lily's friends turned on her with the question that she had been dreading.

"Lily, why didn't you come back to the compartment after the meeting?" Marlin asked her, trying to keep her curiosity from being detected.

Lily sighed. "Potter is what kept me there. He is the new Head Boy, which means, that I am going to be stuck with the airhead all year. He said some things that really surprised me though. He acted just acted like a normal person. Why did he act out of character? I mean, he really isn't that nice, is he?"

She then added hastily after she saw the looks on their faces, "I think that it was just a one time thing. So, do you guys have your eyes on anyone this year?

Marlin began to talk at the change of subject which made Lily sigh with relief that the spotlight was off of her.

"Nope, I am planning on staying single this year. There are no boys worth my time nor that catch my eye."

Marlin was a very hard person to please and had never gone out with a guy during all her time at Hogwarts. Every guy including Sirius pursued her because of her beauty, which made her believe that no guy was worth it. She wanted a person who would see her as she was on the inside, not the outside.

"Anyways, that's enough about me, what about you, Rosalie; do you have your eyes on a certain someone?" Marlin turned to Rose anxiously waiting for her to reply.

She began to blush. How she hated it when her friends cornered her on this subject. Yes, she did like someone, but she thought that he would never want to be with her because of his condition.

Remus Lupin was the perfect gentleman for her. Even though he turned into a monster every month before the full moon, he was always able to take her breath away. Rosalie found out about his condition last year when they became friends. She had figured it out when he had disappeared every month. She was mad at first that he didn't tell her but soon got over it when he apologized and told her what he had to go through every month. No one knew besides the Marauders and now her.

Before Marlin and Lily could get an answer out of her, the carriage stopped and the three girls stepped out of the carriage and proceeded to walk into the Great Hall.

"I always forget how amazing this place is, "Lily breathed. She had her head tilted to the ceiling,

admiring the enchanted stars twinkling innocently down on them.

"Yeah, and I miss how the boys always try to ambush me when I am on my way to the bathroom. I cannot wait to hex them when they attempt it again this year." Marlin said with a smirk.

With Marlin's long blonde hair and her aqua-colored eyes, no boy could keep their eyes to themselves. Even Sirius made some kind of remark about her every time she and her friends passed him.

"Oi, Savory, want to meet me in the broom cupboard on the fifth floor for a bit of fun?" Siriurs said, spreading his award-winning smile from ear to ear to work his charm.

"Eat dragon dung, Black." Marlin snapped.

"Rude as ever, " Lily muttered under her breath

They sat down at the Gryffindor Table, waiting for the first years to be sorted.

"Will they hurry up with the sorting, I am starving to death." Sirius said, rubbing his hands over his growling stomach." which he was trying to quiet.

No sooner had he spoken those words,then the great oak doors slowly swung elegantly open. Professor McGonagall was carrying a stool and a hat that was as old as time itself. Patches were sewn everywhere and when she set down the stool and grimy hat, its rim tore into a mouth and the hat began to sing.

"_One school that unites all students, _

_Four houses within that divides them all._

_Each and every one of you belongs in among these walls._

_Gryffindor the house that holds courage is where you might belong, _

_Or even maybe Ravenclaw, where you're wise and all knowing._

_Hufflepuff are for those of great heart and friendliness, _

_Or thus you reside in Slytherin, the house of those of great ambition and cunningness._

_Which ever you may be in, you shall be accepted and accomplish great tasks. _

_I ask you but one favor, _

_Unite each house _

_And we as a school can overcome any darkness that might befall of us."_

The hat fell silent, and Professor McGonagall began to read names off the long roll of parchment.

Andrews, Sarah the first to be sorted was greeted with tumultuous applause as the hat shouted "Hufflepuff!" when she walked over to her new table. Many more students were sorted and as Wimbley, Jon was sorted in Gryffindor, the sorting had ended.

Albus Dumbledore, the current head of the school rose out of his seat.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. I am hoping that you have all had a chance to empty out all the knowledge that was gathered at the end of last year and prepare for the new information that will be thrown at you. I have a few announcements for you all. First off, the Forbidden Forest is of course, forbidden to all students. Second, Mr. Filch has kindly asked me to remind you that fanged frizz bees, ever-bashing boomerangs, dung bombs, and any other Zonko products are forbidden on the school grounds. Lastly, I would like the Head Boy and Girl to meet me in my office after the feast. With the first year's being sorted, let me say a few words more. Ogle, mick, aprha sneef!"

And with that, Dumbledore sat down and the golden plates and goblets began to fill.

Sirius began to pile legs of lamp and Yorkshire pudding onto his plate and didn't bother being polite about it. It was a disgusting sight to see. Many people ogled at him wondering how he could find space for eight plates of food.

Lily and her two friends weren't sitting that far away from the Marauders.

"Hey Black, with how your eating now, I bet you'll scare off all the girls who vomit their food and are considered "Black Worthy" since they think the sight of food is atrocious, not to mention the way you eat it." Marlin said with a smirk on her face.

Lily and Rosalie laughed. They both knew that Marlin could be as nasty as Black, when it came to a battle of words and wits.

Sirius glared at Marlin and was about to leap over the table to hex her when Remus and James held him back.

"Let me go! I swear if it's the last thing I do, you will regret ever saying that to me, Savory! I'll make sure I have my revenge!"

"That'll be the day when I've finally seen the light and become one of those bimbos who lick your shoes. That will be when you get your revenge on me," she said, batting her lashes flirtatiously.

Before a larger scene could be made, the plates began to empty, signing that the feast was over.

Lily stood up from the table and started for Dumbledore's office. James followed suit and followed her out of the hall.

"So," James began to say to Lily as one commenting on the weather, "Why do you think Dumbledore wants to see us?"

I don't know Potter," Lily said with a hint of venom, "maybe he has seen the light and is going to appoint someone else as Head Boy who is more bearable than you."

Lily's words stung him a little, but he ignored it and kept on walking down the corridor.

They reached a stone gargoyle and waited for Dumbledore in an awkward silence. James tried to engage in conversation, with Lily, but she just ignored him and wouldn't look at him.

At last for what seemed like the longest moment of Lily's life, Dumbledore arrived.

Looking down his half-moon spectacles, Dumbledore spoke to them.

"I see that you would rather wait for me out here rather than in my office. That is very kind of you both to wait for an old man such as myself. Shall we go in? I have many things to discuss with you about your positions of The Heads of Houses."

Dumbledore turned and said "Fizzing Wizbees," to the now rotating gargoyle. All three of them proceeded to Dumbledore's office.

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AN: Well I hope that you like my first chapter. Please leave a review on your way out.

tonksquill1803


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